I got an REI Kimtah "lightweight" eVent parka this week and plan to use it for backcountry skiing. I use Gore-Tex a lot in winter. I'm a ski patroller & my parka is GTX and my "civilian" mountain parka is GTX but I've never, ever, tried eVent.

The Kimtah has no pit zips and the low mesh-backed front pockets are blocked by my pack's waist belt. Should I buy waterproof pit zips and have a tailor put them in or does eVent breathe well enough on its own?

Well, I always carry a WPB parka in the western mountains like the Spring Mountains north of Las Vegas (max. elevation 11,990 ft.) and in Sierra Nevada and the Rockies winter or summer. Like my down sweater, a WPB parka is a safety item, IMO.

Usually it was my Cabela's PacLite parka but now it's my eVent parka. PacLite pants go along in winter and in the Rockies a year 'round. They vent in the lower legs.

I guess as a ski patroller I'm very aware of the threat of hypothermia so a WPB parka seems necessary. And I've found that the Kimtah eVent parka easily doubles as a wind jacket.